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Zdeno Chara skips two NHL games to be flag bearer for Slovakia at Sochi Olympics

Zdeno Chara of Slovakia waves as he carries the flag as he leads the team during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. (Mark Humphrey / AP)

By Stephen WhynoThe Canadian Press

Fri., Feb. 7, 2014

ADLER, RUSSIA—As reporters surrounded Zdeno Chara for the English portion of his press conference, one foreign reporter knocked over a mini Slovak flag that was on the table in front of him. Chara’s eyes moved immediately to it, only returning to normal once it was standing up again.

Slovakia’s flag clearly holds great significance for Chara, who was chosen to carry it during Friday’s Olympic opening ceremony. It meant enough to the Boston Bruins captain to miss two games to travel to Sochi early.

“I can’t really describe until it all sinks in,” Chara said at Slovak Point in the Adler train station Friday. “It’s something you don’t get to do or experience for many athletes. I’m very lucky and privileged to be able to do that.”

Chara could only do this once he got permission from the Bruins. He spoke with coach Claude Julien and general manager Peter Chiarelli before taking the case to owner Jeremy Jacobs, who signed off on Chara’s “dream come true.”

“They said, ‘We’re going support you. You’ve been with the organization for a long time, and you’ve done a lot of good changes,’” Chara recalled. “I can’t thank them enough.”

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Neither can his Slovak teammates and coaches, who hold him in very high regard.

“He’s really a respected man around the country,” assistant coach and former New York Islanders teammate Vladimir Orszagh said. “Not just the young players but even the experienced players look up to him and know what he has done to became a great player.”

It’s hard to describe what Chara means to Slovakia’s national team and the nation at large. He became the first Slovak-born captain to win the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins, and there might as well be a “C” tattooed on his chest when he wears his country’s colours.

Fortunately for Chara, Bruins management listened when Chara asked about getting some extra time off to head to Sochi early. But it also carries weight to his Slovak teammates that Chara was willing to miss two NHL games for this.

“If Zdeno’s skipping the games, it’s got to be something special because everybody knows he wouldn’t let his team down,” Radivojevic said. “But this is a big thing for us and for country and I think he’ll be proud to (do it) and everybody in Boston is going to be proud.”

Chara is one of just two men’s hockey players serving as flag-bearers, joining former NHL defenceman Sandis Ozolinsh of Latvia. But Chara is doing this as a national hero.

“He showed his character and penchant for national team once again,” Orszagh said. “He’s bringing the team spirit, our flag, to the ceremony for our country. That’s it how much he’s important for our team.”

At six-foot-nine, Chara can wave the flag higher than any other athlete at these Winter Olympics. But his teammates hope his impact during the tournament is just as huge.

“One of the biggest guys of this group and biggest leader,” defenceman Milan Jurcina said. “The main thing is he’s going to be on the ice.”

Even if Chara struggles in Sochi, his career achievements have left an impression on Orszagh, who was drafted by the Islanders in the same season and watched the defenceman evolve.

“I know how hard was for him to establish in NHL,” Orszagh said. “He was such a hard worker, he became a Hall of Famer. I can say it already. He dedicated his life to the hard work and hard work bring him success.”

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